Petition Launched to Stop Obama From Speaking at Notre Dame

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Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10:59 am

Making the rounds in pro-life circles: a petition to be delivered to Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins, demanding him to scrap a planned commencement address by the President of the United States.

Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.

The honor also comes amid great concern among Catholics nationwide about President Obama’s future impact on American society, the family, and the Catholic Church on issues such as traditional marriage, conscience protections for Catholic doctors and nurses, and expansion of abortion “rights.”

This honor is clearly a direct violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate in “Catholics in Political Life”: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

WhoIs doesn’t have a listing for the petititon site, but there’s more on the protests from the Catholic News Agency. Obama beat Sen. John McCain in St. Joseph County, Ind. home of Notre Dame, by 17 points, aided by support from the school’s students.

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Comments

19 Comments

Patrick Clemons
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 10:31 am

It is a sad day for Catholic colleges, pro-life but more important to the unborn victims of this murderous crime of abortion. Notre Dame is off the list of college choices for my daughter and off the list of football teams watched and supported. May God have mercy of your burning souls.


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Lyn
Comment posted March 23, 2009 @ 12:04 pm

I am so encouraged to hear someone – any group whatsoever – make a reasoned argument against Obama and the damage he is doing to our future. I support abortion rights – especially for coloreds – but I respect the views of others. If these Notre Dame Catholics want to oppose Obama on any issue then they have my best wishes.


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Patrice Cassidy
Comment posted March 24, 2009 @ 3:35 pm

How can you give Obama an honorary degree from Notre Dame? This is one of the most revered Catholic institutions. Obama does not deserve their admiration.
Let him speak — do not give him a degree


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P Smith
Comment posted March 25, 2009 @ 2:20 pm

Attempting to suppress free speech. Nothing new for the panjandrums of the Catholic Church and the anti-choice movement.

Like him or not, he is the President of the whole nation and he deserves to be heard. I doubt that he much cares about getting a degree from Notre Dame: he already has a better one from Harvard.


Jack Rasmussen
Comment posted March 25, 2009 @ 4:53 pm

Obama could suggest what type of knife should be used in the abortion proceedure My view is that the man is satanic and should be banned on all accounts You must believe in God and God alone as this is the first commandment and Obama by his actions and words reject God and His commands


sgibson
Comment posted March 29, 2009 @ 1:05 pm

Too bad he doesn't know how to use it unless someone put's it on a screen for him first


T Tureaud
Comment posted March 31, 2009 @ 6:24 pm

What next? Will Notre Dame succumb to the ACLU and remove all crucifixes?

“Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality.” well said


Bill Lewi
Comment posted April 13, 2009 @ 2:57 pm

What you don't understand is that it is not pro life vs. pro choice. It is pro life vs. pro SELF and all of you who think it is a choice are only thinking of your selves. Get real!!


Informed Catholic
Comment posted May 11, 2009 @ 6:28 am

How ridiculous that some Catholics want to stop President of The United States Barack Obama from speaking at Notre Dame. Considering that Obama won 54% of the Catholic vote last year, it is obvious that the majority of the voting population in the US who are of the Catholic faith are supportive of this president. What do the “radical” Catholic leaders want their members to do….move out of the US whenever there is a pro-choice president? It is almost impossible for me to call myself a Catholic any longer. I do NOT want my church or anyone telling me who I can and can not vote for in an election. We live in a very dangerous and troubled world and abortion can no longer be the ONLY issue that Catholics use in making their decisions on who we elect in our Goverment. It's time that other Catholics speak up and tell the “radical” Catholics in our church that although we understand the doctorine that makes up our faith…we must also be realistic and understanding that to make everything in our lives revolve around the abortion debate is just biting off our nose to spite our face.


Informed Catholic
Comment posted May 11, 2009 @ 6:48 am

With all due respect, with this type of reasoning, one would think then, that you and your family should move out of the country until a pro-life candidate becomes President. Do you pay taxes? Again, with your reasoning you honestly sould not. If you do you are supporting a governement that is in full support of the right of a woman to choose. But Obama in NOT pro-abortion as many of the pro-life movement would like to make their memebers believe. Obama, like myself can understand the complexities of this issue. NO government or other person should have the right to tell a woman that she must die in order to give birth. It is really that simple. That is a decision that should be made by the woman, her doctor, her family and her God. If even one abortion can be deemed necessary and allowed, then because of the way our Constitution works, the current laws governing a woman's right to choose must stand. In addition, OBAMA is NOT a one issue President. we live in very dangerous times and we are on the verge of an economic collapse. I believe that it is time that my fellow Catholics realize that we must look at the big picture when it comes to electing our leaders in Governement. By being a one issue voter, one is only biting off their nose to spite their face. And by the way, Obama won 54% of the Catholic vote last year. One would gather that the majority of the voting population that our Catholic and voted support President Obama in his elected position. And as an American, one should repect the office of the President and be honored that President Obama is speaking at Notre Dame. As Catholics we need to be less judgemental…leave that to God, and be looking at the big picture when it comes to how our government is run.


DTB
Comment posted May 12, 2009 @ 10:07 am

To the respondent who felt that it is ridiculous that some Catholics want to stop President Obama from getting an honorary degree, you do not know what it means to be Catholic. You are also correct in saying that you should not identify yourself as Catholic anymore. To be Catholic means that you believe that the Church was founded on Peter and he was given the keys to the kingdom. Christ promised to send the holy spirit to guide the Church into all truth. If you can not except that then you indeed are not Catholic. There are many churches you can belong to other than the true church. How could you call yourself a Christian at all, and not defend the sanctity of life from conception to the grave. Modern science shows that life begins at conception with a completely new cell. Detailed ultrasounds show how a baby is destroyed in the womb by this hidious practice. It is not conservative Catholics who are called to defend life, but all Catholics. It is a fundamental teaching of the faith. I feel that some Catholics voted for President Obama because of other issues which may be moral issues as well, but nothing can compare to the ravage of the innocents. I can not believe that any rational human being doesn't get this. Also remember that Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Our lives must not only revolve around the abortion issue, but any issue that comes into conflict with the teachings of our Lord.


Joan Pfister
Comment posted May 15, 2009 @ 7:22 pm

Please stop this address to the Catholic university of Notre Dame. President Obama has stood against all Christianity, and is the most pro abortion president in history. Thus, this is totally unsupportive of fundamental values and morals of Catholicism


Bert B
Comment posted May 15, 2009 @ 7:24 pm

This President has no shame,he will show up and speak!!!

GOD help us all and GOD Bless the U.S.A.


Ben Tresselt, Jr.
Comment posted May 16, 2009 @ 6:43 am

Abortion is murder! According to our justice system, anyone who takes part in the planning, finance, promotion or commission of the act is a murderer.
Roe vs Wade is not and never has been a law, ONLY CONGRESS CAN MAKE LAW. iF THAT HAPpENS, THE PRESIDENT MUST THEN SIGN THE BILL BEFORE IT BECOMES LAW.
Where is Cobgress? Where is the judiciary?


Nick
Comment posted May 16, 2009 @ 10:13 pm

Seems you are informed, just not in your Catholic faith. . What make a person a Catholic? Becasue he/she was born one? Because a person calls himself/herself one? A Catholic is one whom with humitly and love believes in the truths of the Church, and then tries with God's grace to live by those truths. You are informed yes, but I would ask that you prayerfully take the time to study and understand the faith for what it is. It's a beautiful faith that in my experience sets a person free. Go to Mass, take the time to understand the gift we have in the sacraments, approach the Eucharist with reverance and let Jesus' Real Presence change your life, go to reconciliation and experience the joy of Christ wiping away your sins, take the time to understand your true identity as an adopted child of God. See the Church thru spiritual lenses rather than secular lenses, understand that Christ gave Peter the keys to lead His Church after he left, understand that authority still exists today thru Pope Benedict and the Holy See. Become what the Church is asking all of us to become…….saints that give their lives for others and puts themselves last. I would submit this Church is about the most awesome thing we have, if we could only see it. Last our Church is not an American church, it's a Catholic church which means universal……..Jesus Christs universal Church He created over 2000 years ago and it's still standing. The church claims to have authority in all matters of faith and morals. Seems you would never allow the church to have this over you, for fear of being put in a box, or becoming a narrow thinker. It is not a bondage rather the exact opposite when one submits to the church. Our Pope describes abortion as “intrinsically evil” and tells us to form our voting conscience around the issue of abortion first amoung moral issues. Why don't we listen to what he has to say as Catholics? Also abortion is not really a complex issue, as you state. A woman has sex with a man, a child is concieved, the child is then terminated. It is wrong even once, let alone 40 million times, please consider the size of that number. And your President does support a “woman's right to chose”. You merely have to ask yourself “chose what”. I will finish the question for you “terminate the child”. Your comment regarding 54% of the voting population is not an argument, rather it highlights the very sad state our church is in today. We are in desperate need of conversion to Jesus, understanding of His truth, submission to His Church, repairing the division of the Body of Christ (that is you and I). I would ask that you research a saint by the name of Gianna Molla, she is the absolute epitome of what it means to be Catholic, how sad she must be over this whole mess. At a minimun our church is asking us to vote with a Catholic conscience which puts abortion at the top of our voting pecking order. Since your are “Catholic” I just don't understand why you have a problem with Catholic dissappointment regarding Obama at ND. Of course we should have a problem right? Unless you just don't know what the Pope is saying or just don't agree with the Head of the Catholic Church. Seems a better is for you is Informed World-View


Nick
Comment posted May 17, 2009 @ 5:13 am

Seems you are informed, just not in your Catholic faith. . What make a person a Catholic? Becasue he/she was born one? Because a person calls himself/herself one? A Catholic is one whom with humitly and love believes in the truths of the Church, and then tries with God's grace to live by those truths. You are informed yes, but I would ask that you prayerfully take the time to study and understand the faith for what it is. It's a beautiful faith that in my experience sets a person free. Go to Mass, take the time to understand the gift we have in the sacraments, approach the Eucharist with reverance and let Jesus' Real Presence change your life, go to reconciliation and experience the joy of Christ wiping away your sins, take the time to understand your true identity as an adopted child of God. See the Church thru spiritual lenses rather than secular lenses, understand that Christ gave Peter the keys to lead His Church after he left, understand that authority still exists today thru Pope Benedict and the Holy See. Become what the Church is asking all of us to become…….saints that give their lives for others and puts themselves last. I would submit this Church is about the most awesome thing we have, if we could only see it. Last our Church is not an American church, it's a Catholic church which means universal……..Jesus Christs universal Church He created over 2000 years ago and it's still standing. The church claims to have authority in all matters of faith and morals. Seems you would never allow the church to have this over you, for fear of being put in a box, or becoming a narrow thinker. It is not a bondage rather the exact opposite when one submits to the church. Our Pope describes abortion as “intrinsically evil” and tells us to form our voting conscience around the issue of abortion first amoung moral issues. Why don't we listen to what he has to say as Catholics? Also abortion is not really a complex issue, as you state. A woman has sex with a man, a child is concieved, the child is then terminated. It is wrong even once, let alone 40 million times, please consider the size of that number. And your President does support a “woman's right to chose”. You merely have to ask yourself “chose what”. I will finish the question for you “terminate the child”. Your comment regarding 54% of the voting population is not an argument, rather it highlights the very sad state our church is in today. We are in desperate need of conversion to Jesus, understanding of His truth, submission to His Church, repairing the division of the Body of Christ (that is you and I). I would ask that you research a saint by the name of Gianna Molla, she is the absolute epitome of what it means to be Catholic, how sad she must be over this whole mess. At a minimun our church is asking us to vote with a Catholic conscience which puts abortion at the top of our voting pecking order. Since your are “Catholic” I just don't understand why you have a problem with Catholic dissappointment regarding Obama at ND. Of course we should have a problem right? Unless you just don't know what the Pope is saying or just don't agree with the Head of the Catholic Church. Seems a better is for you is Informed World-View


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